Strategy for teaching Summarizing

Summarizing literature has always been a difficult concept for kids.  The problem is they usually want to write too much.  There are the few that totally miss the concept by naming a detail and leaving out the main elements needed to make a good summary.   I have been teaching the concept of Somebody.. wanted.. but ..so ..then.. for awhile.  But--today it hit me.  We are constantly using our colored pencils for making notes on texts, our highlighters for main ideas and identifying context clues for vocabulary--  I decided that this would be no different.  I would assign each part a color. 

 




After reading the book Grumpy Gloria, We discussed that sometimes the narrator was a main character in the story.  We used the "formula" and wrote the summary.  After the summary was written, we highlighted each part-- (colored pencils) and labeled it.  




This worked like a charm!  I read the Book Alexander and the Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day-- and the kids helped me write a summary using the formula-- and we labeled it.  My plan is to read Tattle Tongue tomorrow-- and let the kids Write their own summary and label the parts.   Hopefully, as we continue to write summaries the rest of the year they won't forget important key components!


 

Fluffy Trufias

The first day of school will be here before I know it, and my room is still a hot mess. I began unpacking my books and rearranged the classroom as much as I could, but I still have tons of boxes and tubs to unpack. 
A  friend of mine had made a cute bulletin board  with tissue paper boarder and some fluffy tissue paper balls (they looked like DR. Seuss's Trufias!) purchased from Party City.  After looking at the balls, I realized I could make them easily. 





 
1) take about 10 pieces of tissue paper stacked on top of one another (any color)  and fold them like a fan- about 2 inches.  Use a thin ribbon or piece of yarn to tie around the middle and cut the ends into a point. 

2) Very carefully begin separating the tissue paper .  Be careful as it will rip easily. 





More........



  and the final product.....

I love these!  I can do them multiple colors and I may even figure out a way for students to do them for a Dr. Seuss Bulletin Board or for Mother's Day flowers.... Oh the possibilities. For right now, they will be pretty accents in my room. Rule number one on the first day of school?  No jumping up and hitting my fluffy Trufias.

Currently!

I am linking with Oh Boy Fourth Grade to do a "currently." As learn more about the world of blogging and trying to link, add photos and set my circles, I am constantly making mistakes.  Good thing I don't have a great big following group that will point out all my big errors.  So here it goes.  If this works, I will be able to post the pic and ad text to it.  So here it goes....

 

ummmm yeah, got the pic, but can't figure out how to add the text-- so
Currently I am:
Listening: to "Animaniacs" in the background as my daughter is ooooing and awing over a build-a-bear Magazine.
Loving: that my boys and Husband will be home tonight from a youth retreat in Panama City Florida.
Wanting: my classroom to be finished....magically.
Needing: a maid to clean my house-- because apparently the cleaning fairies are on vacation or on strike-- or maybe an inservice on how to do cool stuff on my blog....
Must haves: 1) a cart on wheels with drawers to hold supplies
                      2) My donors Choose project to be funded: "Kindling a fire for Reading"
                      3) a new area rug in my room

Well, off to hit the school sales and No TAX Weekend for my own kids and students!

Happy New Year!

A friend of mine posted on facebook-- "Happy New Year to all my teacher friends."  As I thought about this-- she is right.  Although we aren't celebrating with horns, champagne, fireworks and the Times Square Ball coming down at midnight-- it is OUR New Year.  New students, new school supplies, some of us new grade levels or subjects-- and ha! New CCSS!  (Well, for some of us they are new.) It is the time of year to start fresh.  Try new ideas rearrange the furniture in a new way, and start the new school year with a fresh outlook.  I love the new year. So...

New things I am going to do this year--

• teach just ELA/SS
• Have students keep a data notebook
• learn and teach the ELA CCSS
• facilitate Student led conferences
• Be more effective with my individual student conferencing- 

As I look at this short list I am already overwhelmed.  I have a suspicion that some of this will grow to be bigger than I'm if I am not careful.... What will be new for you?......

And so it begins

Up early today.  Picked up my keys for school-- Floors have been waxed and all items are back in our rooms.  As I peered into my room I anticipated the worst case scenario. I never know where to start.  My first thought is-- Arrange the furniture.  But some of the furniture is underneath that big stack of boxes and tubs. 

As I moved furniture around and unpacked, I realized I have boxes from last year that were never touched.  I have a good mind to put them in the hallway for the custodian-- and not even peek to see what is inside.  Once my room is done-- I will post pics...

A Moment of randomness-- I am on the school Data Team this year and we are going to have our students keep Data Notebooks. As I look around, I have found a TON of resources.  My concern is that I bite off more than I can chew, and that I end up spending valuable time on data and organization during class with the kids and neglect instruction. I want the notebooks to be meaningful and effective for student and parent  responsibility.  I teach ELA/SS and I know I need to start off small, but these are areas that I think I am going to have them track:

• Behavior 
• reading fluency/running record
• spelling
• Books read

 In class we will track homework being turned in -- But I am wondering what else if anything should be added.  Goals will be established once we do a base running record and spelling pre-tests.  (I use Words Their Way) I wonder what I am missing.....

Feeling a Little Crafty Today

I went to Micheal's and found all kinds of great things.  First before you go, check the weekly ads.  They will sometimes have  40% or 60%  off a single item, 20% off the purchase and then make sure you have your teacher ID--and  Boo YOW!  an extra 15% off! (This even includes CLEARANCE!!)

We have to keep our classroom locked at all times-- and I am awful at keeping up with my keys!  I found a great owl lanyard at Educational Wonderland, and decided I would use it to help me keep up with my keys.  Well, while I was at Micheal's-- I found some fabulous sparkly embellishments, and I decided I would sparkle up the lanyard on one side.   I do love some sparkles!

In one of the clearance bins outside, there were spools of ribbon.

I have been tired of using sticky notes as bookmarks in the interactive notebooks, so I decided to get some ribbon, and we will hot glue ribbons in the back of the composition books so no one will loose their spot, and if I want to do a notebook check, I won't have to go on a scavenger hunt to find something.  (Yes, we do create a "Table of Contents", but for some reason I always have  a few students who don't follow directions, skip pages, don't keep up with their contents and I am hoping this will help. Maybe?)

  

My next  project I am working on is a homework club display. I saw the idea on pinterest, and decided that I would try it.  Per our district policy, homework is not to be graded in anyway.  So, I am looking for a way to reward those students who do complete their homework consistently. I think I am going to use student numbers rather than pictures due to the high turn over rate of students at our school. I love the idea of using pictures, but getting student photos in a timely manner when a new student comes in isn't feasible. I will post pics of the final product.

The last project that I am working on are my Data Notebooks. Every student will have a section. That is still a work in progress as I try to gather everything that I want to use for student assessment-- individual, and small group- but I did find a  site that has free running records and record forms.
this seems like it would be a great RTI source. 

Well, off to target to see what other "goodies" I can find to feed my "new school supplies addiction."

Who DOESN'T like free?

Teachers spend so much of their own money on teaching supplies, it really isn't funny.  Every year  year at tax time when my husband asks me how much I spent, I tell him to use the max-- (I think it is $300) but the truth is-- I spend way more than that. What other profession does someone spend their OWN paycheck so htat they can do their job?  Granted, I am my own worst enemy When new school supplies are put out-- but the other stuff, chart paper, book baskets, labels, 3x5 cards, and other activity suplies- well, it adds up.  That is why I am on a mission.  We all know we are still going to spend money-- but if things are out there for free-- or there is a chance you can get it for free, Teachers need to know about it.
oh Boy 4th Grade is having a $100 giveaway.

Over the next week, I will be posting freebies that I find for Daily Five.  If you havent read the book, it is fantastic, and really helps you organize your ELA time so you have time for those important small groups.  A great place to start is my Daily 5 Wiki. It is still a work in progress-- but has some great freebies.